The Return
by r.rocha99913
Summary: Slight AU. Today was a day everyone should be celebrating, no matter what. So why is Gohan so... dead? "I'm here for the man that killed me, for a.. rematch, of sorts." Inspired by the fic 'Partners', as well as references to 'Truth Hurts'. Hope it's okay.


**_Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan-based FanFiction. Dragonball, Dragonball Z, and Dragonball GT are all owned by FUNimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, and Akira Toriyama. Please support the official release._**

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**_Extras - Author's initial thoughts:_**

_Draft one: This is it. This is my Mona Lisa, my Eiffel Tower, my Michaelangelo, my... holy crap, this is crap... back to square one!_

_Draft Two: Finally, my Romeo and Juliet, my Moby Dick, my... my... my piece of crap... this is harder than I thought..._

_Final Draft: Not bad, not bad. Fixed the spelling, and improved the flow... well! Its done! One heaping, steaming pile pf fanfiction, ready for reading!_

* * *

Dull. Low clouds filled the skyline of Satan City, reflecting the state of mind of the black-haired eighteen year old on this day. Dull. Everyone else noticed the change in the boy's attitude, and on this day too. Today was a day everyone should have been celebrating on, no matter what. It was unnerving everyone. The usually happy-go-lucky boy was was just...dead.

The boy laid on his desk, completely oblivious to the world around him, just staring outside the window and looking at the dark clouds overhead.

So absorbed he was at looking out the window, he never noticed the teacher call him, asking him to pay attention to the class. When the boy finally listened and turned however, the teacher saw the look in his eyes, and was taken aback.

His eyes held absolute misery in them.

So shocked was the teacher, and everyone else who saw it, that he just went on with the class, letting the boy continue with his silent mourning.

Normally, the raven-haired girl two seats away would have been on him in an instant, but she too was shocked at the look in the boy's eyes. So it was up to his other friend, the bubbly blond of the group, who snapped out of her shock much quicker than her raven-haired friend did, to try to find out what was up. She laid a hand on his arm, taking a moment to marvel at the hidden muscles before she mentally shook herself. She had a friend to help.

"Gohan, are you okay?" she asked, with the utmost worry for her friend.

He acted as if he didn't even hear her, still just looking of into the dark clouds, until she tried again.

"Gohan, you can tell us," she said, smiling in a reassuring way to the back of his head.

It was sad, really. He actually wanted to tell someone, anyone, why he was so sad today, but if he did, people would either not believe him and blow him off, or they would believe him and treat him as a killer. So instead, Gohan managed to force a smile, and said the only thing he could. "I'm fine. It's nothing."

The tone of his reply managed to shock even himself, and the smile left his face. Erasa seemed to get the implied message, and left him alone, but not before she offered to be a helpful pair of ears. That boy was as stubborn as Videl when he wanted to be.

The raven-haired girl sitting next to Erasa leaned over so she could look at Gohan, or the back of his head, which she actually did a lot. She stared at him, but not with her usual glare, but with a look of concern for her friend.

She wanted to find out what made him act in this way. Usually, she would've pushed him for information, but this time, she wanted him to open up to her on her own. This was different from the regular Videl, mainly because she tended to push for everything she had wanted to know, but this time was different. Somehow, Son Gohan, against all odds, had wormed his way into her heart. She had only just realized it not even a week before, and she was determined to keep that under wraps for now.

Sitting beside Videl, the self-proclaimed ladies man, known as Sharpner, just stayed in his seat, doing his best to ignore Gohan, or 'Nerd Boy', as he called him. Today was the day everyone celebrated Cell's defeat at the hands of Hercule Satan, and he would be damned if his day got ruined by Nerd Boy.

As he looked at the weather outside the widow, Gohan faintly heard a clap of thunder, as rain started to furiously pound the glass panes of the window. In his eyes, the rain represented all the tears he convinced himself were caused by him. All the times he saw his mother, Chi-Chi, cry, all because he basically killed her husband. The tears he imagined his dad, Goku had shed, because his own son had a hand in his death. The ones the man would've cried if he found out about the son and daughter who would never met him. But most of all, his brother, Goten, and sister, Kara, and their tears, crying for the daddy they never got to meet. This was the hardest for Gohan because to him, he was the sole person responsible of robbing the innocent little boy and girl of their father.

On this day, Gohan would've locked himself in his room, beating himself up over his greatest mistake: his arrogance. He believed that nothing could hurt him that day, that he was invincible. Because of that, he made Cell desperate, and that desperation caused him to self-destruct, which in turn, costed his dad his life.

But because he was now attending high school, his usual routine was interrupted by the school day. It was also because of school that the twins were able to ask him a question before he left.

* * *

_"Gohan, how did daddy die?" Goten had asked, causing Gohan to freeze. Kara picked up the slack, adding, "When we asked mommy, she started to cry. What happened to him?"_

_Gohan was about to automatically answer with his standard answer, "I killed dad," But decided that it would've been too much for the two, so instead, he boiled it down to the truth. "Dad died fixing my mistake."_

_Before either could ask their big brother another question, Gohan had already blasted off, turning into a Super Saiyan and leaving a trail of golden ki in his wake._

* * *

As the rain fell even harder, he sighed. The talk about Hercule had just stopped, but like always, it was only temporary.

Sure enough, the PA system crackled to life, shutting everyone up, which caused Gohan a moment of surprise. As far as he knew, teens would never shut up.

**"Hello everyone on this wonderful day,"** came the happy voice of the principal, whose tone made Gohan snort. Luckily, the only one who saw him was Videl. Unfortunately for him, the only one who saw him was Videl.

_'What's wrong with him?'_ she thought, looking at the boy.

What she didn't expect was the answer she got. _'"What's wrong with him" she asks. Really, the only thing wrong with me was not killing Cell in time,'_ Gohan thought, not knowing that the voice came from his mind, with Videl having never opened her mouth. And because of him looking out the window, he never noticed the look of shock on her face, as he continued. _'I robbed my little brother and sister of their father. I robbed my mom of her husband. It was my fault. It was my fucking arrogance that day that got dad killed. It's my fault he died,'_ he thought, while griping the desk in an effort to not transform from his emotions. The wood was easily giving away from the force of his grip, and miraculously, no one other than the raven-haired crime fighter a few seats away from him even noticed. It was all because of a TV set that was wheeled inside the room, tuned to the local news that was currently giving an interview to the greatest fraud in history: Hercule Satan.

It was at this point that the sulking boy noticed the words coming from the TV.

**_"But what of your stomach ache?" _**_the interviewer asked._

**_"Ah, the stomach ache," _**_Hercule began,_**_ "It was just an act so I could gauge Cell's true powers" _**_he said.__'That's bullshit and he knows it,'_ Gohan thought bitterly_. 'He was just hiding behind a boulder the whole time, while dad and I fought him.'_

The look on Videl's face was priceless. She was amazed that no one else was hearing the Son boy. The stuff she was listening to would've caused a riot. Especially since everyone worshiped her dad. But the stuff that really got her was what he 'said' next._ 'Some nerve, calling me the Delivery Boy. It's not my fault my name means rice.'_

_'HE WAS THE DELIVERY BOY?!'_ Videl mentally screamed, making Gohan jump in his seat.

_'CRAP! How did she find out?'_ he thought, looking at the wide eyed Videl with a 'deer in the headlights' look.

_'How did I find out?'_ she thought, starting at him,_ 'He said it out loud!'_

_'Videl DOES know that she didn't move her mouth, right?'_

Before either teen could react to the situation, screams rang throughout the classroom. Attracted to the commotion, the two turned their heads to the source, the TV. Both of them froze when they saw the figure on the screen.

Letting out a cold laugh in that all-too-familiar voice of his, with his green skin and black armor-like plates, was the monster Cell. His cold laughter slowed down do a chuckle as he began to speak._** "Hello people of Earth. My, how you all have prospered in these peaceful years. It is understandable. Seven years is a long time to stay dead. This is why I've come back, of course. You see, I have certain... ...unfinished business I need to take care of, and I know some people out there know what I'm talking about. I want the man who killed me. For a... ...rematch of sorts. Unfortunately, it's going to be a fight to the death. Come alone. I don't want anyone to get in the way because this time, I will not be going to HFIL." **Cell let a malicious smirk pull on his face.** "Be there, Gohan..."**_

At this, the whole class let out a collective gasp, as they turned around and stared at the dark haired teen, eyes wide, mouths agape, as he glared at the screen with barely suppressed rage.

**_"...alone, because if you bring a single person, or if someone else shows up, when I kill you, I will kill every single human on the planet in the slowest, most tortuous way imaginable, starting with your precious siblings, Goten and Kara. Oh, and Gohan,"_**_ he said, still smirking._**_ "This time, daddy's not here to save you. You know where to find me. Good day."_**

Cell's figure them phased out of view, too fast for the camera to catch.

The room stayed quiet.

"H-he wasn't talking about our Gohan," Erasa said, as she managed to pull on a shaky, nervous smile on her face. Looking at her black-haired friend, she felt herself begin tremble. Why did it have to be this Gohan? "There are other Gohan's out there, right?"

"Th-that's right..." Sharpner piped up, a nervous tone to his voice. "Nerd-Boy here wouldn't last a second. He-he must've thought he was talking about Mr. Satan. I mean- He wouldn't- He can't..."

Silence.

Everyone was looking at Gohan expectantly. They were waiting for the boy to deny the accusations. To say it was all a joke. To say he wasn't it. Anything.

***SKREE***

The sound of a wooden chair screeching along the floor was the only response they got. Standing up, Gohan ignored the stares he was getting as he made his way down the stairs.

"Th-this isn't happening!" Erasa exclaimed, watching as Gohan made his way to the door. "Th-this is all a bad dream!"

Gohan just stopped, turned around, and said, "Hit me."

Immediately, Sharpner stood up from his seat and walked up to Gohan. After getting a nod from Gohan as a confirmation, the teen made a fist, pulled it back, and slugged him with all he had. When it collided with his head, there was a deafening crack, and Sharpner pulled his hand back, cradling it against his chest.

"Sorry," Gohan told Sharpner, as he gave Erasa am apologetic smile, "Not a dream."

This time, as he left, people tried to stop him.

"Hey, Ner-err, Gohan! Don't go, man!"-Sharpner

"G-Gohan! Don't go, Cell is going to kill you!"-Erasa

"A cutie like you can't fight!"-Angela

When he got to the door, the teacher finally tried to stop him. "Mr. Son, what do you think you're doing?"

Gohan stopped, his hand on the doorknob. After thinking, and coming up with nothing to say, he just grinned and said his old excuse.

"Bathroom."

Videl was frozen. Cell wanted Gohan? _Her_ Gohan? Of course it would make sense if he was the Delivery Boy, like he said. But if Cell wanted the man who killed him, then why didn't he ask for her father? Wait. No, that wasn't right. She just learned by whatever that was that happened between her and Gohan that he and his dad fought Cell. That, along with the extra info she learned from from both Gohan and Cell, led her to a conclusion. Her dad didn't beat Cell, no he was just hiding under a rock. Gohan beat him. But his dad died, probably to save him, if Cell was telling the truth.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by his chair scraping against the floor. She saw him get punched by Sharpner full-force, and move on like it was nothing. But it was right before he left, just after he spoke to the teacher, that she snapped out of it.

"Gohan, wait!" Videl yelled, as she scrambled out of her chair, vaulting over the rows of desks on her way to the doorway, not caring for the looks she was getting. When she caught up to him out in the hallway, she didn't know what to say. She was babbling, tripping over her own words, before he stopped her, placing a finger to her lips.

"I'm sorry Videl. He said alone. We can't be partners this time," he said, before leaning forwards and trapping her lips with his.

Her eyes widened, as she stood there in shock, before she leaned into him, deepening the kiss. After what seemed an eternity, the two broke off, both panting slightly. He smiled at her, and said, "I love you," before he reluctantly headed to the roof. Before he left, he turned around, and looked longingly at her. She was still dazed from the kiss, holding a hand up to her lips as if to feel him again.

When Videl finally regained her wits, her eyes widened, before she bolted after him. When she found a staircase, she practically flew over the steps as she pushed herself to her limits, trying to catch Gohan before he left.

When she finally reached the roof, she burst through the door, heavily panting.

With the dark sky and the rain pouring down on her, soaking her to her very bones, one might've thought she would have given up by now.

But she didn't. Instead, her eyes scanned the skyline, trying to find a trace of him.

There.

She almost missed it, but managed to spot a glowing yellow dot in the distance, growing smaller and smaller as it flew at incredible speeds. Not missing a single beat, she dug her hand into her pocket, reaching for the familiar blue and grey capsule. Compressing the tip, she threw it a few feet away, running after it straight afterwards. She heard the classic explosion coming from it, and dove into the smoke, landing inside the cockpit of her Jetcopter. Starting it up as she strapped herself in, she sped off in the direction of the yellow dot, hoping against hope that she would reach it, as it finally flew out of her view.

She pounded the dash of her jet in frustration as she cursed herself. Reluctantly, she turned her jet around, heading somewhere else, her eyes blazing with fury.

_'Gohan better not die,'_ she thought, after calming down._ 'Because I'm not done with him yet.'_ She was not expecting a reply.

_'Don't worry Videl. I won't die,'_ although she couldn't see him, she imagined the shit-eating grin on his face, as she smiled. _'I'll hold you to it, Mr. Gold Fighter.'_

*~Meanwhile~*

_'I'll hold you to it, Mr. Gold Fighter.'_

Gohan chucked at her response. He thought she would've been screaming at him because of the kiss, but he had been surprised that she accepted it.

Fighting crime as the 'Gold Fighter', he came to admire her. Sure, he was stronger, faster, could fly, was practically bullet-proof, and could take on a whole room of criminals in seconds, but that was because of his powers. Videl didn't have any of that, but yet she risked her life every day, taking on opponents two or three times her own size! Gohan had the luxury that came from his powers, but Videl didn't. Someone like her was regularly jumping across buildings, chasing people over rooftops easily ten, twelve stories up in the air!

And not to mention her personality. She was the very definition of stubbornness. Whatever she put her mind to, she would stick to it. What's not to like about her?

The second thing he liked about her was her kindness. Not many people saw this, but apart from being a 'badass' while fighting crime, she was the kindest person he had ever seen outside of his immediate family and friends. When he got punched by that red shark gang thug, she was the first on the scene, asking if he was okay. After she chased the thug away, of course.

Before focusing on the current situation, he thanked Dende that she didn't violently rip his head off because of the kiss. She's done much worse for much less. Just look at Sharpner.

After that, he blasted off towards his home, where his family lived, unaware of the danger they were in.

* * *

*~Later~*

Cell signed as yet another news copter approached the airspace. Honestly, the only reason he didn't blast them into the next life was because he wanted as many people in the world to see their unknown savior fall.

He suddenly smirked as he turned his head, the first real movement he made since he got to this spot.

Startled by the sudden movement, all the news crews up in the air made a scramble to get away from him. The memory of that fateful day the air force was obliterated by a flick of Cell's wrist was still fresh in their minds.

"Gohan, how nice of you to come," Cell said, looking over to the raven-haired teen.

Descending from the air, Gohan landed in the area, which happened to be the old Cell Games ring. To his left hand side, lay the crater in which he had finally finished off the green menace.

Glaring coldly at the bug-like android, Gohan responded with, "It hasn't been long enough, Cell." As he spoke, Gohan silently took note of the pitch-black halo that floated above Cell's head.

As he settled himself into a battle stance, Cell smirked, and said, "On contraire, Gohan. It's been far too long. What do you say we settle this one and for all?"

Still frowning, Gohan settled into his stance, and said, "With pleasure."

In an instant, Cell passed into view in front of Gohan, throwing a punch straight to his face with blinding speeds. Parrying the blow with ease, Gohan opted to take the android's legs out from under him, as he dropped to the ground, swinging a leg, successfully taking down the biological monstrosity.

Cell, however, managed to regain his bearings, as his aura flared, bathing him in golden flames. He then proceeded to phase out of view once more, dodging an uppercut from Gohan as he appeared behind the teenaged savior. Cell chuckled evilly, as he held out his arm to the raven-haired teen, the limb crackling as yellow sparks of superheated plasma danced around it, acting as a visual warning to his malicious intent.

His eyes widening in surprise, Gohan was barely able to throw himself out of the way, before the area he barely left was obliterated by a golden yellow pulse of raw power. Nothing was left of the area, and as he looked up, he noticed that Cell had also wiped out a good deal of the news crews, rapidly dissipating smoke the only evidence of their existence that remained.

_'Crap,'_ Gohan thought, as he looked at the destruction caused by the bio-android._ 'I completely forgot about them. Come on, Gohan! You need to end this,'_ he thought, as he dropped into his stance once again. Searching deep within himself, Gohan called upon his dormant energy, his body transforming as he did so. His eyes flickered from a deep onyx to a cold teal, as his muscles suddenly bulged, momentarily struggling to contain the power now rushing through his veins. His body then seemed to gain another few inches, as his raven hair spiked upwards, before fading to a bleached blond. His aura changed from a wispy white tinged with blue, to a raging golden color, shrouding him in golden flames. With an additional grunt of effort, Gohan plowed through another mental barrier, as his power doubled, his aura expanding, electric blue sparks emitting from his form.

"So, you're finally getting serious?" Cell asked, as he looked on with a bored expression. He then took on a lazy stance. "Good. No I get to prove who is the superior being." Cell said, as he rushed Gohan, and threw a kick.

* * *

***~News Station~***

**"WHERE IS HE?!"**

Everywhere around her, people were desperately trying to hide from her, unwilling to take the full force of Videl's fury as she searched for her father in the news station.

"M-Ms. Satan?" one of the braver ones said, and as she turned to him, he shrank with fear.

"Yes?" she asked, barely managing to suppress the rage she felt against her father.

Raising a shaky finger, the man pointed to the broom closet next to him. "He's in there."

"Thank you," she said, as she gave the man a genuine smile. Instantly though, her face adopted the most terrifying scowl ever known to mankind. Nearly ripping the door right off it's hinges, Videl dragged the snivelling and terrified Hercule to the roof, where he was to be interrogated.

**"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR?!"** Videl yelled, as Hercule tried to curl up in a ball in a pathetic attempt to hide.

"I-I don't n-know," he whimpered, his eyes darting everywhere but at Videl.

Videl was not amused. **"THE HELL YOU DON'T! YOU JUST WENT AROUND AND LIED TO EVERYBODY, EVEN YOUR OWN DAUGHTER! I'VE BEEN LIVING A FUCKING LIE FOR MY WHOLE LIFE! NOW, WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF?!"**

"I-I'm sorry!" Hercule managed to choke out, before he continued, "I-I wanted to t-tell you V-Videl, I r-really d-did, but you l-looked up to me. I-I didn't want to make you as-ashamed of me. Believe me, it hurt h-having to lie to you a-all this t-time, bu-but I didn't want to l-lose you, Videl, please forgive me," he said, before breaking down.

Taking a deep breath, Videl thought of what she would do next. On one hand, she could break him, and leave home. But she didn't have anywhere to go. Maybe if she was lucky, Erasa would help her and give her a place to stay, but that wouldn't work out for too long. On the other, she could forgive her dad, and try to help (make) him apologize for everything he's done.

Finally, she said, "Give me some time," before she left, using the Jetcopter.

* * *

***~Orange Star High~***

Everyone present was staring at the TV screen in awe, as they saw the resident Nerd, Gohan, fight Cell.

_Ducking under a kick, Gohan, in his Super Saiyan Two form, smirked as he made a fist in his hand. Standing back upright, he shoved the fist into Cell's chin, momentarily stunning the android. Using the android's stunned state to his advantage, Gohan cupped his hands to his side, and called upon his ki, forming a pulsing electric blue ball of energy._

_"Kamehameha!" he yelled, as he fired the destructive blue beam. However, by this time, Cell had regained his bearings, and smacked the blue blast away, towards a mountain, destroying it in the process._

"Unreal..." Sharpner said, as he watched his friend duke it out with apparent ease.

_After deflecting the blast, the bug-like android attempted to gain the upper hand. Splitting into four, all four Cells rushed Gohan, throwing blow after blow. Gohan, however, managed to block or dodge every blow that came at him, eventually managing to knock them all into the ground, this forcing them back into one._

"H-He's actually doing it!" Erasa exclamed, as they saw the golden-haired teen score another vicious blow.

_Gohan watched as Cell picked himself of the ground, his face contorted in rage._

_"How?!" Cell yelled, "How is it that you are this powerful after so long?! I was sure you had given up on training!"_

_"You don't get it, do you?" Gohan asked, as he stared down at the enraged android. "After you lost, I worked myself to the bone. I trained day in, and day out, sometimes coming home barely conscious." he said, as the whole world hung onto his words._

_"I was pushing myself so hard, that if it had gone on any longer, I would have died," he said, as his classmates at school gasped._

_Suddenly, Gohan smiled. "And then mom found out she was pregnant. Suddenly, I truly had something to protect," he said, as the furious androids snapped at him._

_"And what, pray tell, is this something you found?" Cell sarcastically asked, before continuing. "You protect a world that doesn't even acknowledge you as their savior. You save the Earth, and yet, they ridicule you. What could you possibly have found that motivates you so?"_

_"I fight, for the smiles on their faces," Gohan said, as he clenched his first. "All of my life, ever since I was four, all I did was fight. I never had a chance at a real childhood. I fight, so Goten, Kara, and even Trunks, can experience a real childhood, unlike the one I was denied."_

_At this, Cell just laughed. "A smile? That's all you fight for?" Suddenly, Cell brought his hand forward, launching a powerful, one-handed Kamehameha. "Let's see how far this smile will take you!"_

_Gohan, having already sensed Cell's energy buildup, launched an equally powerful blast, which rocketed towards Cell's._

_The two blasts met in the center with a shower of sparks, the combined destructive force equal to that of a hundred nukes._

"He's gonna do it!" Sharpner yelled, as everybody looked on with anticipation. "Come on, Gohan! You can do it!" He yelled, as everyone started to cheer.

_"It's over, Cell!" Gohan yelled, as his beam started to gain more and more ground against Cell's. "It's the end of the line for you!"_

_**"NO!"** Cell cried, as his beam was pushed aside like nothing, his bare hands being the only thing saving him from oblivion. "It. Can't. End like this!" he yelled, as it started to take more and more effort to stop Gohan's beam. "I'm **PERFECT!"** he cried, as the beam finally managed to overtake him._

_Bit by agonizing bit, Cell was disintegrated, as every single one of his cells were violently ripped apart by the destructive ki invading them._

_Finally, after five long minutes of this, Gohan cut the flow of energy, his attack continuing is course into the depths of space, where it eventually dissipated into nothing._

_Cell was wiped from existence._

**"HE DID IT!"** everyone in the classroom cheered, watching as Gohan jumped into the air, and left.

* * *

**WORLD SAVED BY GOLDEN-HAIRED DELIVERY BOY**

_Segment By Ema Nekaf_

_Yesterday, the world was once again thrown into chaos, as the evil monster, Cell, came back from the dead, demanding his revenge. But the savior wasn't our so-called hero, Mark 'Hercule' Satan, who was revealed yesterday to be a liar.** (see page 5 for full story, and the resulting father-daughter argument that was exclusively caught by roof-top camera)**_

_Our true hero was the Gold Fighter himself, now revealed as Son Gohan, who bravely fought Cell in a one-on-one battle to the death. Not much is known about his current whereabouts, but recent documents point his in the far-off East District 439, where the Ox Kingdom resides. Further investigation revealed his parents to be none other than the famed 'Fighting Couple', Chi Chi Mao **(now Son)**, and Son Goku. **(cont. page 7)**_

* * *

***~The Next Day~***

'Well,' Gohan thought, looking up at his school, 'Here goes nothing.' Walking through the front doors, his ears were assaulted by the sheer volume of all the cheers. People all around him were swarming him, making him feel claustrophobic.

"Hey!" a female voice yelled, stopping the mob's assault. "Leave Gohan alone!"

The crowd quickly parted, revealing Videl's triumphant face, which upon seeing Gohan, turned determined, with a hint of a blush. "I-I need to talk with you," she said, before adding, "Alone."

Gohan nodded, and walked over to her, picked her up (which enticed a startled squeak from Videl), and phased out of view.

Seconds later, Gohan appeared on the roof. He carefully set Videl down, helping her with regaining her senses by holding her steady. After a few seconds, she shook her head, before scanning the area around them.

"Well, that was fast," she stated, as she registered the fact that they were on the roof, a trip that would've normally taken her ten minutes.

Gohan only smiled, an action that made Videl's face light up with a blush. 'Come on, Videl!' she thought, 'No regrets!'

Gohan, upon hearing this (unintentionally, of course), said, "Videl, what do you mean b-"

Gohan felt a set of soft lips against his own, shutting him up. Immediately, he returned the kiss, deepening it as Videl moaned under him. Just like the first time, time seemed to show down for the two, seconds stretching into hours, making the kiss seem like it lasted an eternity.

When they finally broke apart, the two were breathing heavily, looking at each other with flushed cheeks.

After a few minutes, Gohan began to speak, "Videl, I-" but was cut off by Videl.

"Gohan, before you say anything, let me speak," she said, her voice containing a nervous tone. Gohan obeyed, watching as she seemed to struggle with herself.

"Gohan," she said, as he face held a slight blush. "In these past few months that you've been here as school, I haven't been the best person. At first, I stalked you after school," she said, as she looked down in shame, "Then, I hounded you, trying to get you to break, and tell me that you were the Gold Fighter. And while it eventually turned out to be true, I still had no right to do so. What's worse, I was planning to blackmail you with the information once I had found out," she said, as she looked down to the ground, refusing to meet his gaze. "So now I have a question for you, Gohan." she stated, as a tear dropped onto the floor by her feet. "D-do you hate me?"

Gohan looked at her, too shocked to speak. Here was Videl, asking him if he hated her, after bringing up some fairly good points. But no matter how good those points were, they couldn't change the feelings he had for her. He loved her, plain and simple. And nothing, not even his overbearing mother, had the power to change that. Certainly not her past actions.

"Videl, look at me." he said, he approached her. He saw her shake her head furiously, obviously terrified of the reaction she was expecting from him. Reaching out, Gohan gently took hold of her chin, inching up her face slowly, forcing her to look at him. As she looked deep into his eyes, she saw not an ounce of hated, or loathing. What she found instead, was a vast sea of love, combined with an endless supply of affection. And then, he spoke.

"Videl, when I met you, I assumed you would be just like your father: arrogant and selfish. However, as I got to know you, I found out you were nothing like that. That presumed arrogance was only your stubborn, confident personality, while the presumed selfishness was blown away with your duties as a crime fighter. On top of that, you went out of your way to help others, even going as far as jumping into a burning building. You are also the kindest person I know, as I saw the day I was hit by those Red Shark thugs. You were the only one who helped me, after managing to chase them away, that is, even as you were looking for clues that would have tied me to the Gold Fighter." Foam said, as Videl blushed at the praise.

"While that may have been true, I wasn't annoyed by it. In fact, It kept me on my toes." he said, as her blushed lessened somewhat, and she began to smirk. "I also started to notice all the little things, like how you always nibble on the eraser when you're working on a problem in class, or how you always mess with your hair when you're either nervous or embarrassed." he said, as they both blushed.

_'He actually pays attention to me?'_ Videl thought, as an uncharacteristic thought went through her head. 'That's so sweet.' She then shook her head. _'What am I thinking?'_

_'Again with this?'_ Gohan thought, as he once again heard Videl talk in his head. Besides him, Videl gave a jump, as she heard Gohan talk to himself, in his head.

_'Why is this happening? Is it a Saiyan... thing...'_ Gohan thought, as a horrible memory was brought to his mind.

* * *

***~One Year Earlier~***

"Bulma? Bulma!" Gohan yelled, his cries echoing through the halls of Capsule Corp. _'Man, where is she? I need to get back to training...'_ he thought, before he stopped, blinking. "Great, now I'm starting to think like Vegeta!" he groaned, before he decided to do the unthinkable: ask Vegeta himself.

Closing his eyes, he swiftly searched for the Saiyan Prince's energy signature, only to find him in his beloved gravity room.

As he neared the room, Gohan heard a familiar voice.

"About time you got here, brat."

Gohan jumped, not expecting the Saiyan Prince to be out and about, especially since he sensed his energy within the Gravity Room.

"Vegeta!" Gohan began, "Don't DO that."

"Hmph. Serves you right." Vegeta said, as he carried a humongous stack of food to the G.R. When he opened the door, it revealed a circular room, illuminated with red lights. Inside was Vegeta, who had stopped his usual exercise routine when the gravity became normal once again. The other Vegeta then marched straight on over to the one that trained, put down the stack of food, and vanished in a yellow glow, reintergrating with the obvious original.

After watching these events, Gohan asked, "Since when did you take the time to learn the multi-form technique?"

"That's none of your concern, Kakabrat, now sit." Vegeta ordered, watching as Gohan sat down in the empty chamber.

"So what did you call me here for? Because I was looking for Bulma just now. Mom sent me here to pick up some files that apparently Bulma had." Gohan said, as he finally got comfortable on the floor.

"The Woman got called to one of those idiotic meetings. It is of no concern to you, brat." Vegeta said.

"Then why am I here?" Gohan asked, as he began to feel nervous. Vegeta never called anyone over. Ever.

"Brat, you are at the age when Saiyans begin to... change." Vegeta began, as Gohan paled.

"V-Vegeta," Gohan asked, as his face took a slightly green hue. "Are you going to say what I think you're going to say?"

Smirking evilly, Vegeta ignored him, and continued. "These changes become more apparent, if your destined mate is nearby. If both of you have the same feelings of... affection, you two will start to form a telepathic link, which we call a bond." At this point, Gohan was at the door, trying (and failing) to pry it open, as Vegeta reveled in Gohan's obvious panic.

"This mean, that both of you will be able to hear each other's thoughts, be it intentionally or unintentionally. The bond may be strengthened, if both of you mate. This will also add an empathetic effect, which will let the both of you know each other's emotions."

**"LET ME OUT!"** Gohan yelled, clawing at the door.

Now grinning maliciously, Vegeta continued, reveling in Gohan's distressed state. "One completes the bond, thus strengthening it, by mating with the other, which this planet calls s-"

**"FOR THE LOVE OF KAMI, SOMEONE LET ME OUT!"** Gohan yelled, as he frantically banged on the door. The poor boy wasn't let out until dawn the next day. He is now forever mentally scarred. Whenever he remembers, that is.

* * *

***~Present~***

_'I wonder what's up with Gohan?'_ Videl thought, as she watched what seemed to be a haunting memory flash through his mind. She shivers, as she catches glimpses of a blood-red room, and an echo of insane laughter.

When he finally shook out of it, she focused back on him, smiled, and said, "Finally. I thought I was going to have to hit you in the head to bring you back."

Gohan laughed nervously, raising a hand to rub a the nape of his neck. "You don't have to do that, you know."

_'Gohan looks so cute like that'_ Videl thought, as a fragment of his memory surfaced in his mind. **/If both of you have the same feelings of... affection, you two will start to form a telepathic link, which we call a bond./** _'So we're bonding...'_ he thought, looking fondly at Videl.

Hearing his thought, Videl asked, "What do you mean by 'bonding'?"

Gohan glanced at her, as he thought to himself._ 'I guess I should explain, but for that I'll have to tell her everything.'_ He thought, being careful to block those thoughts from her. _'But if we're really bonding, I'll have to explain it to her someday.'_ Turning to her, Gohan said, "I'll tell you, but to understand it, I'll have to tell you everything."

"Everything?" She asked, receiving a nod in return.

_'Oh man, this'll take a while.'_ He thought, as he began to reveal everything. Hours pass as the story began, Videl's face changing from shock when he told her of the time his uncle landed, horror when he described his first life-or-death battle, as well as when he described the horrible feeling of being trapped in your own body as a result of a broken neck on Namek. Her face then takes on a soft smile as he recalls the years training with his dad in preparation of the androids, as well as in the Room of Spirit and Time. She begins to cry along with him as he recalls the events at the Cell Games, supporting him as he choked up at the moment his father was sacrificed, only to gasp at the revelation that it was all for naught when returned the first time. He briefly skims over the next few years, and explained what he learned that day with Vegeta.

When he was done, he was looking at the ground, not meeting her eyes. "So that's it." he said, "That was my life's story. Every major event, since my uncle came to Earth."

_'W-what will she think of me now?'_ Gohan thought, consciously blocking the thought from the raven-haired girl.

"Gohan, look at me." Videl said, as he slowly looked up. His lips were instantly captured in a kiss, this one not as intense as the last, instead filed with love and affection. When they broke apart, Videl looked in his eyes, and said, "You probably think I'm repulsed, but I'm not. You're still Gohan, the socially awkward nerd, that just so happens to be the person who defeated Cell. You're not any different from yesterday, or the day before. You're the same person who stole my heart; the one I love."

They stood there, just enjoying each other's company, when the bell rang. "How long were we here for?" Gohan asked, checking his watch. Seconds later he yelped, as he saw it read 1:53, nearly time for their last class.

**"We've been gone the whole day?!"** He yelled, as he imagined his mom's frying pan, and it's soon-to-be impromptu meeting with his head.

Videl giggled at his reaction, before she started for the door. Turning back to the panicking Saiyan, she called out, "Are we just going to stand here, or are we going to class?"

That got his attention. Turning from his feast, which in his panic he uncapsulized in an effort to enjoy his last meal, he reluctantly packed it up, disappearing in a puff of smoke. He stood back up, dusting off the crumbs from his red pants, and walked besides his... friend? Girlfriend?

"Uh, Videl-?" He said, catching her attention.

"Yeah?" She asked, wondering what he was about to say.

"Are we boyfriend and girlfriend now?"

She stopped, still facing towards the door, and said, "I guess so. Why?"

"Sh-should we hold hands?" He asked, as a faint blush spread across his face.

After running his question through her mind several times to see if she heard him right, Videl blushed, and nodded.

The two intertwined their hands, and walked down the stairs, ready to face life.


End file.
